Help
by NightReader22
Summary: Sammy needs help with his homework. This is my very first Wee-chester fic! I hope you enjoy it! The boys are about 7 and 11 in this one.


"Dad? Dad? Can you help me with my homework? Please?" John, who didn't even look up from the book he was reading as Sammy looked at him pleadingly. Oh Sammy. He was still young enough to hope that this time his dad might give a damn about his school work. At the same time though, he was now old enough to know that their relationship with their dad was not exactly what you'd call normal. While other kids were at home getting help with their homework, they were doing weapons drills and PT sessions.

John made a quick note into his journal and glanced up. "You finished PT?" he asked brusquely.

Sammy sighed a little, not missing the clear message about where their dad's priorities lay. Then he nodded. "Yes sir."

"And are the clothes washed?" Like Sammy would forget that. They could be packing up and leaving at a moment's notice and this place had a free laundry room.

"Yes sir." This time the polite reply was a little quieter, the hope fading from his eyes as his shoulders slumped.

He must really need help with his homework. He was being too polite, not snapping and calling his dad out on the fact that he didn't care. Sammy wasn't afraid to start a fight when he thought he was being wronged…despite knowing the inevitable consequences of disobedience.

Of course John didn't see that…or didn't care. He'd made it abundantly clear by now that going to school was a formality that kept the authorities of his back, not a priority. Anything he thought his boys needed to know, he taught it to them himself.

He made another note in his journal, as though Sammy was little more than a distraction to his actual work. "Have all the weapons been cleaned today?" He finally asked, not even bothering to look up.

Sammy's face sank. If he'd been a softer kid he'd probably have started to cry. "No, sir." He almost whispered, knowing the task would take him the rest of the day. He'd be lucky if he even got to his homework tonight, let alone finished it.

"Better get to it then." John told him, making it clear there was no room to argue. "I want it done when I get back." And with that he put down the book, picked up his journal and walked out of the dingy hotel room, the door slamming closed behind him.

Sam flinched slightly at the bang of the door. "Yes sir," he whispered to the man who was already gone.

Shoulders slumped in defeat he walked over to lock and re-salt the door before starting to clear the papers from the table to make space to clean the weapons.

Damn it. I hated seeing Sammy like that. Hated dad for making him feel like that. Treating him like an inconvenience instead of a son.

Why couldn't dad just accept that Sammy was different to him, to us? He wasn't born to be a hunter, he was better than that.

Sammy was smarter than both of us, dad knew that, but to him it was just a good excuse to get him to do more of the research. Using those brains for schoolwork was nothing but a waste of time. I learnt that early on and, honestly, I didn't much care. I was happy to do the bare minimum to keep each school from looking at us too closely. But Sammy? No.

Sammy loved learning, and he wanted so much more than just the monster of the week. He actually cared about doing well in maths, and English, and science, and whatever else he was learning at the moment. He still saw a future that included more than just hunting.

He wanted to go to college. I knew he did, even if he was already smart enough to know better than to talk about it. He wanted a real job. A real life. Sure, what we did was important, but we both knew it was hardly a great life.

Part of me hoped he would just move on, accept the hand he'd been dealt in life and live like dad wanted him to… Most of me knew better.

I put aside the EMF meter I was attempting to repair for dad and sat down next to Sammy at the table. I gently took the cleaning rag out of his hand and started working on the guns.

Sammy looked at me in confusion, "You finished fixing that thing?"

I shook my head, "Nah. It'll wait. So, what did you get for homework today?"

Sammy frowned, picking at the end of his sleeve silently. I nudged him gently with my elbow. "I need dad's help." He finally answered, sounding miserable.

"Aw, come on Sammy. Homework is my domain, you know that." I told him, keeping my voice light. I really wanted to know what it was now. Usually he did his homework himself, or I helped with what I could.

He shrugged. "You won't know it," he insisted and roughly brushed a hand across his face.

I pretended not to notice. "Please Sammy?" I asked shifting to face him, "At least let me try."

He sighed heavily. "Fine." He turned to look at me, a spark of anger in his eyes that didn't hide the anxiety he was feeling. "It's a family history project."

I frowned, not quite understanding what he needed.

"I have to write about our family history." He explained, the anger quickly fading, to be replaced by sadness. "Like…who are grandparents were, and what they did…" He scrubbed his hand over his face again, and then looked me in the eye. "And…and I don't know!" He exclaimed. "I don't even know their names! He doesn't talk about anything before…before mum…" He looked back down at his hands, shrinking back in on himself after the sudden outburst.

"Oh Sammy…" I murmured, suddenly understanding his anguish and why he had tried so hard to get dad to help. He was right, I really didn't know any more about our family history than he did. For whatever reason, dad just didn't talk about it. But, that didn't mean I couldn't help Sammy with his homework.

I put the gun and rag down on the table and put my hands on Sammy's shoulders, turning him to face me. "Sammy, Sammy. You are looking at this all wrong!" I exclaimed, putting excitement into my voice.

Sammy looked up at me with an almost comical mix of confusion and hope. "I…I have?"

I nodded enthusiastically, resulting in just a hint of a smile. "Yup." I told him. "Don't stress that big brain of yours worrying! This is an opportunity!"

He still looked sceptical, but he was already starting to smile. "What kind of opportunity?" He asked.

I looked around furtively, as though checking we were alone, and then leaned in conspiratorially. Sammy leaned in to meet me in the middle, eyes wide with hope. "The opportunity," I told him quietly, "to be the most popular kid in class."

Now poor Sammy really did look confused, "huh?" He leant back, looking at me with concern.

I chuckled, "Yep. You see Sammy, we've been here, what? Two weeks?" Sammy nodded, "And I can guarantee you that dad put down the bare minimum of information on our enrolment forms." Sammy nodded again, frowning a little. "So...who cares what our actually family history is?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

He frowned for a moment, and then laughed. "Really? You…you want me to lie?"

I shrugged, "It's not lying, just…embellishing the truth."

He smacked me lightly on the arm. "Uh huh…" He still didn't look entirely convinced.

"Come on…if you could pick the coolest job, apart from ours," I winked, "what would it be?"

He thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "A fireman." He answered.

I blinked, wondering if he knew that that had been my dream when I was his age…before I accepted the life of a hunter… Outwardly, though, I smiled brightly. "Ok! So, go and get your book and start writing about your Grandfather…Bob the fireman!" I pushed him playfully, making his chair wobble.

"Hey!" He shoved me back, and got up to get his school bag.

He came back with his history book and, sitting back down next to me, opened to a new page and began to work with his usual enthusiasm, all traces of misery and anxiety gone.

I watched him fondly for a few moments, and then continued to work on cleaning the weapons to dad's standards. Sure, he'd be pissed when he got home and I hadn't got the EMF meter working, but so what. We had a second one he could use for now. I'd just pull out one of the parts and tell him I needed to buy a new one on the way home from school tomorrow.

Anyway, it would be worth getting punished to see my Sammy smiling again. Dad may not always care, but I did.

* * *

 **Hi everybody! I finished an assignment and decided it was a good chance to take a break and give you the first of the promised one-shots! This one is different to my previous fics, so I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think!**


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